This plant is deciduous so it will lose all its leaves in autumn, then fresh new foliage appears again each spring.

Position: full sun

Soil: fertile, well-drained soil

Rate of growth: average to fast

Flowering period: April

Hardiness: fully hardy

Pollination Group: C - flowering late season

Root Stock: Qunice 'C'

This delightful dessert pear tree is covered with pure white flowers in mid spring, followed by large fruits, renowned for their excellent flavour. Vigorous and upright in habit it's an ideal specimen tree for a small, sunny, well-drained site.

Garden care: Pears naturally shed a small quantity of the developing fruits in mid summer. After this has occurred thin out the remaining pears, leaving one pear per cluster. Add a high-nitrogen feed in spring. In August summer prune by shortening any side shoots (or laterals) which are longer than 20cm back to three leaves. This will allow the sun to ripen the fruit and encourage more fruit buds. Make sure that the growth you’re cutting away feels firm to the touch. The main prune should be done in the winter as long as it isn't frosty or freezing. Take out the 3D’s (dead, dying and diseased wood) and create an open shape. Then reduce the leaders back by a third. Aim to create an airy structure without any crisscrossing branches.

Pollination Information: This pear belongs to pollination group C, so you will need need to plant one other different variety of pear to guarantee cross pollination, and a subsequent bumper crop. Ideally this should come from the same pollination group, however it is possible to use one from group B as well.

Eventual height & spread

Goes well with

Double 'u' cordon 'Conference' Pear
Hi there, I just wondered if you were able to provide me with a bit more information on the 'Conference' Pear. I cannot find any further information about the BA29 rootstock and I wondered if you could let me know the estimated final height and width. Ideally we are looking for a trained Pear which spreads widthwise rather than heightwise, say 4m by 2/2.5m. Thank you. Kira

Kira Larno-Bayne

2009-07-27

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2015-06-02

Can I move a Pear tree?
I'm about to move house, but planted a Pear tree about 5 years ago and would like to take it with me. It's about 7ft x 3ft and has half a dozen pears on it at the moment. It's in a bed and I want to transfer it to a pot to put on my new terrace...but only if it will survive! Is this a really bad idea? Should I just buy another one for my new home, or can I dig it up and pot it, if I take a good sized area of soil etc?

Kate Warwick

2005-09-13

Most plants are pretty forgiving as long as you move them on to their new position within the first two years of growth. Having said that, if it is done with great care and preparation, it is often possible to move plants that have been in the ground for many years! The general rule of thumb is that deciduous plants and herbaceous plants should be moved when they are dormant as the water demand is at its lowest at this time and the roots have time to recover and get established before the plant starts to produce leaf. Evergreen shrubs should ideally be moved in the autumn or early spring. This is again because the water demand the foliage places on the roots is at its lowest so the newly moved plant can put new roots on before the onset of warmer weather. If essential these plants could be moved at anytime of year but you would need to be very liberal with the watering until it was established and the chances of success without extreme care are reduced. When moving the plant always prepare the planting hole first then take as much of the rootball and surrounding soil of the plant as possible. Water very well after planting and keep a keen eye that it doesn't dry out especially during the first year after moving.

2005-09-14

Crocus

How do I prevent Pear midge?
My pear tree suffered from what I think I have correctly identified as 'pear midge' last summer and I lost the whole crop. I collected and destroyed the affected fruit, and in March this year pruned the tree as it was needed. What do I need to do to prevent this happening again this year? I would prefer an organic or wildlife friendly approach as a lot of birds frequent my friut trees, and the pears are also usually enjoyed by family and friends.

Ann Williams

2005-04-19

There are a few ways you can tackle pear midge that doesn't involve spraying lots of chemicals. The best way is to remove infested fruit. This helps to reduce pest levels, and hopefully to guarantee a crop in future seasons. Pick off any affected fruitlets as soon as they are noticed. You can also place a barrier on the soil under the tree canopy to catch falling larvae and fruits. This could be a plastic sheet, or thick cardboard to prevent larvae reaching the soil. Sweep up all fallen debris daily and put it in the dustbin. Keep the ground under the trees covered with a mulch which should be removed each autumn and renewed in the spring. Larval cocoons will be removed with the mulch at the end of each season. In winter, lightly fork or hoe the soil under the trees to expose cocoons to predators, but take care not to damage any shallow tree roots. Pear midge lay their eggs in mid-spring so very early or very late flowering varieties of pear may escape damage. Early flowering varieties are also prone to frost damage so choose a late-flowering variety such as ???Concorde??? or ???Onward???.